An entertaining Champions League play-off round is complete, with last year’s runners-up Inter comprehensively beaten by Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt in one of the tournament’s biggest shocks for several years.
But just as it looked like Serie A was completely on the ropes, Atalanta turned things around on Wednesday night, progressing with the last kick of the game of their play-off second leg against Borussia Dortmund, after they were awarded a last-minute penalty to complete a comeback from 2-0 down on aggregate.
Juventus’ task — trailing 5-2 from their first leg against Galatasary — was even steeper. A heroic 3-o victory in 90 minutes took the game to extra time but Lloyd Kelly’s harsh-looking red card early in the second half eventually told in the additional 30 minutes, with goals from Victor Osimhen and Baris Yilmaz taking Galatasaray through.
Juventus defender Lloyd Kelly is astonished after being sent off against Galatasaray (Stefano Guidi/Getty Images)
Newcastle United ensured that six English teams will be in the last 16. Anthony Gordon scored four goals in one half in the first leg as they cruised past Qarabag of Azerbaijan, clocking up the furthest competitive away trip an English side has ever made in the process.
Record 15-time winners Real Madrid prevailed after a first leg in which Vinicius Jr received alleged racist abuse from Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni and knocked out former manager Jose Mourinho’s team with a 2-1 second leg win at the Bernabeu.
Title holders Paris Saint-Germain looked unconvincing as they edged past domestic rivals Monaco, while Atletico Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen also progressed.
And that was just the play-offs. The knockout stage proper begins on March 10 with the last-16 draw coming up this Friday (February 27).
Which teams have got through?
The following sides progressed from the Champions League play-offs, with results below showing the aggregate score over two legs, home and away.
Galatasaray 7-5 Juventus
Monaco 4–5 Paris Saint-Germain
Benfica 1-3 Real Madrid
Borussia Dortmund 3-4 Atalanta
Qarabag 3-9 Newcastle United
Bodo/Glimt 5-2 Inter
Club Brugge 4-7 Atletico Madrid
Olympiacos 0-2 Bayer Leverkusen
Bodo/Glimt stunned Inter at San Siro on Tuesday (PIERO CRUCIATTI / AFP via Getty Images)
Who can they play next?
Some of the juiciest last-16 possibilities could see PSG against Barcelona or Chelsea, Real Madrid against Manchester City, and an all-German meeting of Bayer Leverkusen with Bayern Munich.
All the possible combinations are laid out in the graphic below.
Just as the sides who came ninth to 16th in the league phase were seeded in the play-offs, the top eight will have the advantage of a second leg at home in the last 16.
The teams that finished first to fourth in the league phase are also seeded for the quarter-finals, giving them home advantage in those second legs if they progress. Then, the top two in the league phase, Arsenal and Bayern Munich, are seeded through to the semi-finals — so all of their second legs will take place at home.
If an unseeded club beats a seeded one, they inherit their seeding position.
League-stage winners Arsenal will play at home in the second leg in the Round of 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals, should they progress that far (Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
Can teams play other sides from the same country in the last 16?
Yes, unlike in the league phase, there are no restrictions on two teams from the same country meeting from here on in.
Six of the 16 teams remaining are from the Premier League, meaning the chances of some all-English clashes are high.
For example, depending on how the knockout draw plays out, Newcastle United and Chelsea face the prospect of playing an English team all the way to the final. They could play each other in the round of 16, then the winners may meet Liverpool or Tottenham Hotspur in the quarter-final, and Arsenal or Manchester City in the semi-final and final.
Could we see the first all-English Champions League final since 2021? (MANU FERNANDEZ/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
When is the draw?
The draw for the remaining knockout rounds is on Friday, February 27 at 12pm CET (11am GMT; 6am ET). With the eight successful play-off sides now taking their places in the bracket, it will determine which side the top eight pairings are on and set the tournament pathway for the months ahead.
All roads lead to the final in the Hungarian capital, Budapest’s Puskas Arena, on Saturday, May 30.